Red Hurley

Red Hurley
Red Hurley in 1976
Background information
Birth name	Brian Hurley
Genres	Easy listening, Gospel.
Occupations	Vocalist
Years active	1969–present

Personal life

Hurley was born Brian Hurley on 11-Sep-1949 and grew up in Milltown, Dublin, with four brothers, Joe, Liam, Des and Fran and two sisters, Olive and Flo. His sister Olive is a world renowned Irish Dance teacher. His father spent some time as a professional musician, but later worked for Dublin City Council. His brother Fran is his manager and his brother Liam has at various times been his record producer and arranger. Red has been married twice, first to Dublin model Patricia Ward (the couple divorced in the late 1980s) and later to longtime partner (his present wife) Norma. He has 3 daughters, Stephanie, Kristina and Kimberley.

Early career

Hurley started his career in 1969 as lead vocalist with The Colours. In 1970, he went on to form his first band, The Wheels, Hurley released several successful singles during this period with The Wheels including: Isadora, Take Me Tonight and Poor Man's Roses, all of which made it into the Irish charts with Isadora being the best known of his hits from this period.

Big Break

In early 1971, his brother Liam left the Airchords to join The Nevada Showband. A few months later, when the then lead singer, Roly Daniels left "The Nevada Showband", Liam suggested his brother as a replacement. It was through his time as lead singer with The Nevada Showband that Red Hurley became a household name, enjoying a string of number 1 hits. He enjoyed success with "The Nevada Showband" until he left in 1974 to form his own "Red Hurley Band". He continued making hit records and toured extensively right up to the mid-1980s. Throughout this time, despite huge domestic success in Ireland, where he was a huge star, significant international success eluded him. The general feeling was that the marketing of an Irish pop star was difficult at a time when the bombing campaign of the Provisional IRA on the UK mainland was ongoing. Red's obvious Irish identity was considered an uphill battle in common with other Irish pop icons Joe Dolan and Dickie Rock, who also failed to find a significant UK audience at that time, despite being virtual superstars in Ireland. Red's record in the Irish Charts, however, places him among the biggest chart acts of all time in Ireland, with over 20 hits and five number ones. He is still having chart hits in the 21st century giving him one of the longest chart careers in Irish show-business history.

Eurovision Song Contest

In 1976 Hurley represented Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest.^[1] Though one of the early favorites to win the contest, his song was beaten on the night by the strong UK entry "Brotherhood of Man" with their song, "Save Your Kisses for Me". Red's song "When" became a huge chart hit in Ireland and is still popular today with Eurovision fans and regularly included in Red's live shows. 'When' was written by Brendan Graham, who subsequently composed two Eurovision winning songs for Ireland, 'Rock and Roll Kids' in 1994 and 'The Voice' for mezzo soprano Eimear Quinn in 1997.

End of an era & new beginnings

Towards the end of the 1970s and into the 1980s, the Irish pop music scene underwent a period of significant change. Established artists like Hurley, whose careers had begun in the showband era, were making way for rock groups like "U2" and others who were changing the music map in Ireland and internationally. Despite this, Red managed to maintain his career in Ireland throughout this time, albeit at a lower profile. In the 1990s, little was heard from the man whose voice had once ruled the Irish charts. In the 1990s new Irish pop acts such as Boyzone and Westlife emerged onto both the Irish & International scene. Both acts were managed by Hurley's one-time manager X-Factor's Louis Walsh. Throughout this period, while his previously glittering chart career declined at home, Red Hurley moved to the United States, where he gradually made inroads into the market there. He would have to wait until 2003 for a return to the music charts with the release of a new album/CD "You're Still You". The album was a surprise success in Ireland, eventually leading to a successful comeback in the Irish market and a string of new recordings, as well as the international success (in both the UK and USA) which had previously eluded him.(See below). Red Hurley's public returned to a new-found appreciation of the artist. Gradually record sales increased, as did attendances at his live concert performances and Red managed to re-establish himself as a major live concert and cabaret artist. Regular appearances on high profile TV and radio shows in Ireland, the UK and USA followed. His most recent Irish tour in 2012, where the singer was accompanied by legendary Irish musician Paddy Cole, played to sell-out audiences across the country.

Today

Red Hurley now enjoys renewed success both in Ireland and the USA. In 2010 he celebrated 40 years in show business with a sell out tour of Ireland with his special guest, legendary US Singer Rita Coolidge. The highlight was a sell out show at Dublin's Grand Canal Theatre. A new admirer of Red's is the Pulitzer Prize Winning American author Maya Angelou, who calls Red 'Her Son' and who has helped introduce him to a whole new audience Stateside. A 'greatest hits' compilation 'Red Hurley - The Hits' reached the Irish top ten in 2009 and is still selling steadily. He also starred in a coast to coast TV special for PBS in America in 2006, filmed before a live audience in Dublin's Olympia Theatre. Speaking in September 2010 of the renewed interest in his career, Red said that he was 'delighted and really enjoying his life again'. Kevin Myers, writing in the "Irish Independent" in September 2010 said, 'His intuitive sense of the beautiful is one reason why Red Hurley is such a wonderful singer. He will find the key element of any song — a single note or phrase — and elevate that into an unexpected little musical jewel'. Internet concert reviews blog Daniel Lindon Reviews said of Red 'Rarely has an artist had the persistence and self belief to rise above so many career setbacks and emerge once again triumphant, he is without a doubt one of the greatest male singers in the world today and his international success is long overdue'. Red Hurley is once again back on top and it seems he is enjoying every minute of his 'second act'. He continues to tour regularly in Ireland, USA and in the UK. A 7 date Irish mini tour in 2012 (accompanied by showbusiness legend Paddy Cole) sold out at venues across Ireland.

Irish chart positions^[2]

Band Singles:

A Poor Man's Roses / I Didn't Even Know (with The Colours) – #14 Irish Charts Target Records – 7N.17771 – June 1969

Isadora / Amigos (with the Wheels) – #14 Irish Charts Target Records – May 1970

Take Me Tonight / Let's Get Started (with the Wheels) – #20 Irish Charts Target Records – 7N.17982 – September 1970

Going Away (with the Nevada) Play Records – March 1971

Sometimes / I'll Be Home (with the Nevada) – #1 Irish Charts Play Records – PLAY 03 – July 1971

Kiss Me Goodbye / Bring Back The Good Times (with the Nevada) – #1 Irish Charts Play Records – PLAY 06 – Oct, 1971

Hold Me / Trudy (with the Nevada) – #3 Irish Charts Play Records – PLAY 19 – April 1972

Arkansas / Hold Me Just One More Time (with the Nevada) – #2 Irish Charts Play Records – PLAY 53 – Feb, 1973

I Never Said Goodbye / I’d Like To Teach You (with the Nevada) – #5 Irish Charts Play Records – PLAY 63 – August 1973

Solo Singles:

I Know – #5 Irish Charts Release Records – RL 741 – 1974

Love Is All / Morea– #1 Irish Charts Release Records – RL 766 – 1975

Broken Promises – #1 Irish Charts Release Records – January 1976

When – Irish Eurovision Entry for 1976 – #4 Irish Charts PYE Records – 7N.45583 – March 1976

Tennessee Special / Granny's Got A Painted Leg – #3 Irish Charts EMI/Red Bus Records – EMI 2527 – September 1976

In Shame Love, In Shame / Listen To All The Children – #3 Irish Charts Release Records – February 1977

You're My Day, You're My Night / Morena – #2 Irish Charts Release Records – RL.878 – July 1977

You Don't Have To Say You Love Me – #5 Irish Charts Release Records – May 1978

You're So Good To Me / Steppin' Aside – #9 Irish Charts Spider Records – February 1979

The Furey Man – #6 Irish Charts Spider Records – November 1979

I Want To Live With You / Perfect Love – #29 Irish Charts Spider Records – WEB 036 – January 1981

Hey / Cut Across Shorty – #15 Irish Charts Crashed Records – CAR 38 – February 1983

Danny – #15 Irish Charts Crashed Records – CAR – September 1983

I Believe I'm Going To Love You – #21 Irish Charts Dolphin Records – DOS – June 1985

Let The Heartaches Begin – #20 Irish Charts Dolphin Records – DOS – June 1987

For Always – #19 Irish Charts Dolphin Records – DOS – April 1989

We were in Love – #27 Irish Charts Ensign records – Sept, 2006

Album Releases since 2000 1973 Red Hurley 'Hits' (Irish Charts Peak Position No 1)

1976 When (Irish Charts PeaK Position No 2)

1978 Red Hurley With Love (Irish Charts Peak Position No 8)

1981 Warm Red (Irish Charts Peak Position No 23)

1982-2003 Various Compilations Released in Ireland/UK/USA

2003 – You're Still You (Irish Charts Peak Position No 8)

2005 – Always There For Me (Irish Charts Peak Position No 14)

2006 – Raised on Songs and Stories CD/DVD (USA) (Sony Music Sold as part of USA PBS TV Special)

2008 – Red Hurley 'The Hits Album' (Irish Charts Peak Position No 6)

2009 – How Great Thou Art (Irish Charts Peak Position No 21)

2010 – Sings My Soul CD/DVD (USA Only)

2012 - Red Hurley 'The Hits Album' (Re Issue for 2012 Tour)

References

External links

• The Official Red Hurley Website
• Irish Showbands – Red Hurley

Awards and achievements
Preceded by The Swarbriggs with "That's What Friends Are For"	Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 1976	Succeeded by The Swarbriggs Plus Two with "It's Nice To Be In Love Again"

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Red Hurley.

Persondata
Name	Hurley, Red
Alternative names
Short description	Irish singer
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death